Combined saddle and back-band.



W. J. SESSIONS. COMBINED SADDLE AND BACK BAND.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 30, 1911.

Patented. Oct. 1, 1912.

COLUMIIA COUWAIKINGTON. B. C.

WILLIAM J. SESSIONS, OF DESOTO, GEORGIA.

COMBINED SADDLE AND BACK-BAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1,1912.

Application filed January 30,1911. Serial No. 605,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM J. SESSIONS, a citizen of the United.States, residing at Desoto, in the county of Sumter and State ofGeorgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedSaddles and Back-Bands; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in combinedback-band and saddle for plow and wagon harness.

It is well understood by farmers that harness of the kind referred to,involves as a general rule, a band of webbing or other suitable wovenfabric adapted to rest upon the back of the animal and provided at thefree ends with suitable hooks to interlock with the chain or othertraces. Backdoands of this character by reason of the constantfrictional movement over the spine of the animal soon produce sores andgalls. To overcome this difiiculty, it has been suggested to substitutea back-band composed of wood for the canvas or woven band, but it hasbeen found from experience that the wooden band skins the sides of theanimal and they are therefore used but little, or if used at all, aresoon discarded.

My invention has for its object to provide a combined back-band andsaddle which will overcome all of the above enumerated disadvantages andwhich shall be simple and economic of construction and readily repairedwhen the flexible band becomes worn.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in the details ofconstruction and arrangement hereinafter explained.

In order that those skilled, in the art to which my invention appertainsmay know how to make and use my improved back band and saddle, I willproceed to describe the same, referring by numerals to the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view showing the band and saddleapplied to a draft animal. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the saddleand back band before being secured together, and Fig. 3 is a centralvertical section of the back band and saddle in connected condition.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts in the several figures ofthe drawing.

'1 is a saddle composedof a single piece of comparatively thin sheetsteel bent into the form shown, to produce two vertically curvedportions 2, 2, adapted to rest upon the. back of the animal, and acentral raised portion 8, adapted to bridge and occupy a position aboveand out of contact with the back bone or spine of the animal.

4, 4 are two bands, or straps of canvas or other suitable materialadapted to be secured by rivets 5, or otherwise, to the curved portions2, 2, of the saddle, and provided at their free ends with a thin plateof steel 6, to which is riveted, or otherwise secured, a hook 7, adaptedto interlock with a link of a trace chain, or to embrace and support anyother kind of a trace. The bands, 4, 4, are preferably padded throughouttheir extent, as shown at 8, and, being pendent from the extremities ofthe saddle and of a flexible character, swing in any direction andreadily adapt themselves to the movements of the animal.

From the construction shown and described, it will be obvious that whenthe flexible portions of the. device become worn and requirereplacement, they may be removed from the saddle and the hooks removedfrom their ends and new webs supplied and fitted in place. The bandportions being of light flexible material and adapted to swing freely inall directions are not apt to injure the animal by friction and thesaddle portion of the device being raised above the back bone or spineof the animal,

permits the free circulation of air between the saddle and back of theanimal.

The structure as a whole is, simple and economical in construction andis readily repaired at a minimum expense, as the saddle portion ispractically indestructible and may be used over and over again with newbands.

The hooks at the "lower extremities of the bands, are preferablypivoted, at their upper ends, as shown, to the plates by which they areattached to the bands, and therefore are free to vibrate upon saidpivots.

The saddle being constructed of thin spring steel, readily adapts itselfto the backs of different animals, and the combined saddle and bands arealso comparatively light, while at the same time possessing thenecessary strength.

Having described the construction and advantages of my improved combinedsaddie, said bands adapted to swing forward dle and back-band, what Iclaim as new and backward and hooks located upon the and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is bands to movably support traces or the likeIn a device of the nature described, a comsubstantially as and for thepurposes set 15 5 bination of a saddle consisting of a sheet of forth.

metal having a central portion rising above In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature the spine of an animal and curved eXtenin presence of twoWitnesses.

sions formed thereon and conforming in WILLIAM J. SESSIONS. shape to thesides of the animal and adapted Witnesses:

10 to rest thereagainst, flexible bands connect W. B. LUKE,

ed to the said curved extensions of the sad- A. W. PATTERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

